Changing surface ornamentations on furs



Jan. 30, 1940. H. A. KUSIKOFF CHANGING SURFACE ORNAMENTATIONS 0N FURS Filed Jan. 28, 1938 i Q INVENTOR w 1 I HA'POLD A. KUS/KOFF z mflm ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 30, 1940 UNITED S'iA'l :1 a tries 2,188,601 7 CHANGING SURFACE ORNAMENTATIONS N FURS H 1 Harold A. Kusikofi, New York, N. Y.

Application January 28, 1938, Serial No.. 187,466

4 Claims.

This invention relates to changing the sheen or luster on spaced surface portions of shorthaired pelts as, for example, irregularly shaped haired regions (hereinafter referred to as geographic patterns) on fur, skins or hides to produce a socalled moire effect. More particularly the invention provides an improved method and means (1) to permanently variegate the outer haired surface markings of such pelts for improving the appearance by increasing the moire portions in those portions having naturally few inconspicuous or no such variegated markings (namely, those commercially less desirable), (2)

to simulate the most desirable class of highest market value with a profusion of variegations or moires, and also (3) to remove or modify natural moires on such pelts to increase their Value in the manner and for the purpose hereinafter described.

0 Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve the process and means of the character described, which means shall be novel, efficient and economical for practising the process, which process shall be simple to carry out 5- and apply particularly to pelts having a dull, coarse or a monotonous shiny appearance in which the hairs lie mostly in one general direction or stand up, such for example as seal, pony and calf skins and the like, for increasing, de-

creasing or modifying the variegations or moire eiTects, thereby improving the natural appearance and consequently changing the pelts from a class or grade that have limited commercial value to a class or grade highly prized, said method being capable of even changing the appearance to the extent of making pelts of the very lowest grade which are naturally suitable only for use as leather to be of sufliciently attractive appearance to permit their use in making 0 up wearing apparel, and which process and means shall be efiicient and practical to a high degree and use for producing a modified pelt.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. The invention is particularly adapted and will hereinafter be described in connection with the treatment of baby seal pelts or skins of the hair seal family, technically known as Phocidae and known in the fur trade under various names, such as 50 tropical seal, rock seal and natural short-haired seal.

The invention accordingly consists in features of construction of means to carry out the steps in a process to produce the modified pelt whichshall be exemplified as hereinafter described and for which the scope of the application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown illustrative embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a stencil guidb ing apparatus with the hinged members thereof in open position, which may be used in practising the invention.

Fig. 2 is ,a view similar to Fig. 1 showing said apparatus in closed position vwith the pelt 1o; clamped between the two hinged members.

Fig; 3 is acrosssectional view taken on lines 3--3 in Fig. 2.

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are views showing a portion of a pelt in various successive stages during'the modification process for providing a moire efiect embodying the invention, in which Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a shorthaired pelt showing a region thereon free from moire eiTects.

Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4 showing in dot and dash lines the outline of a desired geographic pattern of the moire to be applied on the region normally being free from moire efiects,

Fig. 61s a. View similar to Figs. 4 and 5 showing the step of changing the direction of the lay of the hairin the area forming the geographic.

pattern with respect to the areas outside the pattern,

Fig. 'lis a View similar to Figs. 4, 5 and 6 showing the results after retouching the band circumscribing the geopraphic pattern to perfeet the appearance of' the formed moire after simulating natural moire effects. I

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of two pelts 35 sewn together with an incomplete moire efiect on one completed on the other, and

Fig. 9 is a plan view showing a pelt in the improved process of modification stretched ona board.

Fur skins or hides which are sold in the market for use as; wearing apparel in the form of straight-haired pelts are graded for color and their peculiar characteristic natural variegations or moire effects in connection with geographic patterns due to having the hair of some regions of the pelts extending in a direction different from the hair of the surrounding regions with a shimmering band irregular in width extending between said regions. Such peculiar characteristic effects may be attributed to the inherent growth of the hair controlled by heredity or may be caused by the habits of the animal from which. the pelt is taken, for example seals in habitually resting inwet and dry conditions for v long periods of time in a particular manner on hard or irregular surfaces might cause such effects. Since it is practically impossible to control the natural selection or habits of animals the usual run of pelts shows a wide range of grade, from pelts having few or no variegations or moire efiects to those having a profusion of such. Generally those pelts having a profusion of variegations or moire effects command the highest prices for use in making wearing apparel.

In using pelts having moire effects for wearing apparel, it is often desirable to utilize those having certain geographic patterns forming the variegations. Sometimes duplicates of such patterns are required in the designing or styling of the apparel. This requirement entails a great deal of trouble and expense in expertly selecting or matching pelts since it is rare to find two natural pelts with the same variegations.

In practising the invention not only can commercially inferior grades of fur be made to serve for those commanding higher prices by modify ing pelts to have an increased number of variegations or moires, but also there is made available pelts for wearing apparel having variegations or moire efi'ects conforming to any composition of design that may be originated using predetermined geographic patterns, or duplicates thereof.

It is also contemplated, if desired, in practising the invention to remove geographic. patterns, that is, unwanted variegations or moire effects from certain regions of pelts, To this end instead of producing new geographic patterns or increasing the number of variegations or moire effects, the invention may be utilized to remove unwanted patterns by eliminating the effect of such undesired variegations or to partially change or modify the natural moires in such certain regions. Y

Since, therefore, the purpose of the invention is to either produce or remove geographic patterns, that is, alter the natural moire effects on pelts, the method employed may be carried out by proceeding in accordance with a predetermined design in the operators mind, or as reduced to a sketch, or by specific means such as a stencil guide.

Following there will be described methods using such a guide which requires a minimum of skill. It is to be understood, however, that more experienced or skillful workers may entirely dispense with such a guide and simply follow sketches, or may proceed without any aid from external suggestions or guiding means by depending upon memory and capability to reproduce or simulate natural moire effects or by artistic ability.

Referring now to the drawing, in practising the invention using a stencil guide, Ill, ll denote a pair of plates, preferably made of any corrosive-resistant sheet material, either non-metallic or metallic, such as pheno-condensite, rubber, or copper alloys, monel metal, stainless steel and the like. Said sheets as seen from Figs. 1 and 2 may be either large or small depending on the size of the pelts to be worked on and the multiplicity of variegations to be formed, removed or changed. The top or upper sheet ID may have spaced cut-out openings Illa forming geographic patterns corresponding to a desired configuration of the variegations to be made. The under sheet H preferably may be plain, smooth and uncut, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, except that raised portions Ila corresponding to the cut-out portions are provided, said portions Ha being sized and located to extend up into the openings Ina.

The modification of a baby sealskin or pelt P by practising the invention will now be described. Such pelt P to be modified for changing or variegating the sheen or luster of the haired surface may be inserted and clamped between plates [0 and II which if desired are hinged together at I2. Portions p of the pelt P registering with the opening Illa will be caused by the raised portion .Ha to protrude through said cut-out portions 10a and hair of said portions p located in readily workable position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

To said hair portions p a liquid dressing is applied to temporarily change the normal characteristics of the keratin material forming said hair to cause the same to be more elastic, soft and pliable, that is, increasing its flexible condition for proceeding to the next step in the process, said dressing being applied by a spray, swab or brush. Each hair portion p is then brushed vigorously in a desired direction to provide a new lay for said hair, said direction and lay varying from that of the surrounding hair region to produce a variegation shaped to correspond to the stencil plate opening Illa.

The pelt P is next removed from between the plates l0 and H and is stretched on a board as shown in Fig. 9. A narrow band b of the hair surrounding each portion p is retouched with the aid of a small brush, swab or the like, moistened with the dressing, to give or restore a sheen thereto for better outlining the moire effect. The band bforming said effect should preferably be made to simulate a natural moire of a pelt which is non-uniform or irregular in width and generally curved and winding to leave a circumscribed area, that is, portion p, in a distinctive geographic pattern formation. The stretched pelt P is then slowly dried without disturbing the set condition of the hair portions p. This drying is preferably not carried out by any direct method of exposure to heat but by placing in a room or chamber and keeping at a uniform medium temperature. After the pelts P have been thoroughly dried, the hair on portions 17 will then be found to be permanently set. All precipitated coatings or residue from said dressing remaining on the hair of said portion p are removed by dry brushing or tumbling with a polishing material such as sawdust or the like. The modified pelt will then be in a finished state ready for market.

It will be seen that the areas comprising the hair portions 2) have a marked difference of shade of color or contrast as compared with the regions outside of said portions 10, the band 1) giving the desired moire effects as is illustrated in Fig. 7. The moire effects produced by practising the invention in areas of the pelt naturally free from moire effects are permanent to substantially the same degree as those naturally formed on pelts, and if applied in patterns to simulate naturally formed moire effects are such that even experts in this art can scarcely distinguish pelts having the naturally formed moires' from those modified or. artificially formed as herein disclosed in Figs. 4 to '1.

To remove either a naturally or artificially formed moire effect from a pelt, there is applied to the hairs of regions with moires, such as portion p, in Fig. 7, the liquid dressing in the same manner as above stated and brushed in the direction to bring the lay of the hair into the same general direction as the surrounding hair region to remove the variegations, that is, the distinctive band b and the enclosed geographic pattern. After drying and removal of adhering material on the hair in the manner as above described, the moire in the region treated will be removed.

The liquid dressing may be made up from chemical preparations which are capable of softening the keratin material of the hair, commonly known as (1) keratolytic agents or alkalis, which may comprise mixtures of dilute solution of acetic acid, strong solution of hydrogen peroxide, potassium carbonate, strong solution of ammonia water, borax, sodium hydroxide or the like, and as (2) fixatives for setting the hair of the pelt treated, said fixatives comprising solutions of gum arabic, gelatine, sugar, rosin and the like. The liquid dressing may be applied by first using said keratolytic agents or alkalis and thereafter the fixative. Preferably, however, the dressing is made up as one liquid mixture containing both the keratolytic agents or alkalis and fixative requiring a singleapp1ication to the hair.

Examination of the finished pelt treated by the above described process embodying the invention shows areas of geographic patterns wherein the hairs lie in a different direction within said areas than outside the same, the limiting border of said patterns having a greater sheen than either of said areas producing the moire eifect, that is, the hairs of the border b have a sheen of conspicuously greater brilliancy than the hairs within the geographic pattern areas. Thus hairs inside the circumscribed areas in question appear to have contrasting shades of color as compared with those in outside areas and generally appear to be darker than those outside said areas while the moire band 22 appears to have a strikingly greater sheen.

When a pelt has an expansive natural sheen or luster over a wide area thereof without distinjctive geographic patterns surrounded by bands b, the pelt may be modified in accordance with the invention by arranging geographic patterns thereon in closely spaced relation with natural sheen portions forming circumscribed border bands to give the moire effects in separating the geographic patterns.

Among the many possible practical applications of the invention, there is shown in Fig. 8 a fragmentary portion of a pelt havingnatural moire effects of C-shaped or partially eliptical form N extending along one edge E thereof, said edge E being sewn at S on to another pelt having a region R. with no natural moire effects thereon. The partial form N of the natural moire design may be matched by a loop-shaped moire pattern A produced by the methods embodying the invention described above on the pelt P. If desired, the loop-shaped pattern A completing said partial form N may be first formed on the adjourning pelt normally having no design thereon and the two pelts may be sewn together by seam S in juxtaposed position to produce the completed moire efiect desired. Obviously, the form of the design may be made of any plain or fanciful configuration, either simulating naturally occurring designs or others which cannot be found on natural pelts.

As stated above, trimmings and design patterns other than moires in conformity with any desirable configuration, such as squares, diamonds or circular shaped elements (not shown) may be formed on pelts of the character described by the method embodying the invention.

The improved method may also beused for restoring a moire eifect on pelts of wearing apparel which has become blurred or indistinct due to wear or rough and careless usage. In such a case it is unnecessary to rip the pelt seams joining the various portions of anapparel, the restoration of the moire effects being made on the pelts without taking the apparel in question apart.

It is also to be understood that the means such as shown in the drawing and described may in part or in whole be dispensed with. By mount-' ing the pelt P on a board as shown in Fig. 9 only the stencil plate Ill may be used in guiding the operator to outline the fgeographic patterns,

or all structural guiding means may be dispensed with by a skilled operator who forms the geo-.

graphic patterns free hand from-memory or artistic inspiration.

It will thus be seen that there is provided modified pelts and processes of the character de scribed in which the several objects of this invention are achieved-and which meet the condition of practical use to give unusual satisfactioh.

As many other possible embodiments might be made to the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a method for enhancing baby seal or like pelts by forming'a moire effect thereon, the steps of applying a keratolytic dressing to the areas of the pelt where the'moire efiects are to be located,

the pelt where the moire effects are to be located,

arranging the directionof the hairs of said areas to differ relatively from those of the surrounding region, and retouching with said dressing the outline between each area and its respective surrounding region to arrange the hair ,fall in the retouched outline so as to produce a sheen of a greater brilliancy than that of the hair of said area and region.

3. The method defined inclaim 1 including fix-- ing the hair of said brushed area and outline by drying at atmospheric temperature, and removing the dressing from the pelt. I

4. The method defined in claim 2 including the additional steps of drying the hair treated with the dressing at atmospheric temperature, and removing the dried dressing from the pelt.

HAROLD A. KUSIKOF'F. I 

